Age. Age classification is based on the age of the person at his or her last birthday as of March 2007. A married couple's age is defined as the age of the husband—unless he is under age 55 and the wife is 55 or older, in which case it is the age of the wife.

Aged unit. With age 55 as the cutoff, aged units are defined as married couples living together—at least one of whom is 55 or older—and nonmarried persons 55 or older.

Marital status. Married persons are married and living with their spouse. Nonmarried persons may be divorced, widowed, never married, separated, or married but living apart from their spouse.

Race. The categories White alone, Black alone, and Asian alone reflect respondents who reported only one race. Because of changes to the race category, data on race are not directly comparable to editions prior to 2002. A person's race is his or her reported race. A married couple's race is defined as the race of the husband.

Hispanic origin. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. A married couple is of Hispanic origin if the husband is of Hispanic origin.

Family. A family is a group of two or more people (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together; all such people (including related subfamily members) are considered as members of one family.

Social Security beneficiary. A beneficiary may be receiving retired-worker benefits, dependents' or survivor benefits, disability benefits, or transitionally insured benefits.

The ratio of Social Security income to total income. This ratio is defined as Social Security income divided by total income. Units and persons in families with less than $1 of total income or negative earnings or asset income are excluded from these tables.

Social Security Income of Units 65 or OlderTable 5.A4 Percentage distribution of beneficiary units, by marital status and quintile of total money income, 2006

Aged unit Social Security benefits (dollars)

All units

Married couples

Nonmarried persons

First

Second

Third

Fourth

Fifth

First

Second

Third

Fourth

Fifth

First

Second

Third

Fourth

Fifth

Total percent

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

1–499

0.3

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0.6

0

0

0

0.1

500–999

0.7

0

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.4

0

0.3

0

0.2

0.8

0.1

0

0.1

0.1

1,000–1,499

1.6

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.3

0.5

0

0.1

0.3

0.3

2.4

0.2

0.1

0.2

0.3

1,500–1,999

0.7

0.1

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.3

0.2

0

0.1

0.5

1.0

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.4

2,000–2,499

1.2

0.4

0.4

0.3

0.4

0.4

0.5

0.2

0.2

0.8

1.9

0.3

0.5

0.7

0.1

2,500–2,999

1.4

0.4

0

0.5

0.5

0.6

0

0.2

0.4

0.7

2.0

0.2

0.5

0.1

0.7

3,000–3,499

1.6

0.5

0.2

0.4

0.3

0.3

0

0.5

0.2

0.1

2.4

0.4

0.7

0.4

0.7

3,500–3,999

1.7

0.5

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.5

0

0.1

0.1

0.3

2.4

0.4

0.8

0.4

0.7

4,000–4,499

1.4

0.4

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.1

0.5

0.6

0.4

0.5

2.2

0.4

0.5

0.4

0.4

4,500–4,999

3.8

1.0

0.4

0.5

0.3

1.1

0.7

0.2

0.2

0.2

5.9

0.6

1.3

0.4

0.7

5,000–5,999

8.3

1.3

1.2

0.9

1.6

2.6

0.3

0.8

1.1

1.3

12.4

1.4

1.5

1.8

1.9

6,000–6,999

9.3

1.8

1.4

1.7

1.2

3.6

1.1

1.2

0.9

1.1

13.1

2.4

1.7

2.0

2.0

7,000–7,999

14.6

3.3

3.1

1.4

1.7

4.2

1.8

0.6

1.2

1.0

21.3

3.9

3.8

4.1

2.7

8,000–8,999

18.4

4.3

2.9

1.6

1.4

3.0

1.0

1.3

1.0

0.9

27.3

6.1

4.9

4.0

2.5

9,000–9,999

13.8

3.9

3.2

2.3

1.6

3.1

1.5

1.3

0.8

1.2

4.0

17.1

3.8

4.1

4.4

10,000–10,999

15.2

5.6

4.4

2.6

2.5

3.5

1.2

2.0

2.4

2.7

0

23.1

5.4

6.6

3.2

11,000–11,999

5.9

13.0

6.1

3.8

2.7

5.1

2.3

1.6

2.6

2.4

0

20.2

7.7

8.9

5.5

12,000–12,999

0.1

13.9

5.1

4.3

2.8

3.9

1.9

2.2

1.8

2.4

0.1

12.3

9.7

7.4

6.8

13,000–13,999

0

17.4

8.6

6.6

5.0

5.5

2.2

3.9

3.5

3.4

0

10.8

16.8

13.1

11.0

14,000–14,999

0

11.2

6.6

6.1

4.6

8.4

2.9

3.4

3.6

3.9

0

0

15.2

9.7

9.1

15,000–19,999

0

20.9

28.5

24.7

23.0

40.2

23.7

20.8

18.3

22.0

0

0

25.0

26.6

30.1

20,000–24,999

0.1

0

21.9

24.0

21.5

12.7

41.4

33.0

30.2

20.8

0

0.1

0

7.4

10.3

25,000 or more

0

0

5.0

16.9

27.2

0

16.6

25.7

30.9

33.3

0

0

0

1.3

6.1

Median Social Security benefits (dollars)

8,262

12,942

15,600

17,964

19,524

15,324

20,928

21,324

21,804

20,862

7,062

10,662

13,266

13,266

14,400

Number (thousands)

4,128

5,195

5,187

5,071

4,689

1,826

2,156

2,151

2,039

1,922

2,247

3,070

3,060

3,030

2,769

NOTE: Quintile limits are $11,519, $18,622, $28,911, and $50,064 for all units; $22,083, $32,000, $45,796, and $76,746 for married couples; and $9,330, $13,374, $19,062, and $30,202 for nonmarried persons.

Family Social Security Income of Persons 65 or OlderTable 5.B6 Percentage distribution of persons in Social Security beneficiary families, by number of persons in family and quintile of per-capita total family money income, 2006

Family Social Security benefits (dollars)

Total

First

Second

Third

Fourth

Fifth

Persons in 1-person beneficiary families

Total percent

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

1–499

0.1

0.4

0

0

0

0.1

500–999

0.2

0.6

0.1

0.1

0

0

1,000–1,499

0.6

2.0

0.2

0.1

0.4

0.4

1,500–1,999

0.3

0.8

0.1

0

0.4

0.2

2,000–2,499

0.6

1.5

0.3

0.3

0.8

0.1

2,500–2,999

0.8

2.2

0.2

0.5

0.1

1.0

3,000–3,499

0.8

1.8

0.6

0.6

0.6

0.6

3,500–3,999

0.9

2.4

0.7

0.4

0.5

0.9

4,000–4,499

0.7

1.9

0

0.5

0.6

0.5

4,500–4,999

1.4

4.3

0.4

1.5

0.5

0.8

5,000–5,999

3.0

9.4

1.4

1.7

1.4

1.9

6,000–6,999

3.8

11.1

1.9

2.3

2.2

1.9

7,000–7,999

6.0

17.4

3.8

4.0

2.8

2.7

8,000–8,999

7.0

19.6

5.9

4.4

3.3

2.5

9,000–9,999

6.6

16.3

5.2

3.7

4.4

4.2

10,000–10,999

7.8

7.8

15.6

5.9

4.9

3.1

11,000–11,999

9.1

0.1

20.5

8.0

9.1

5.5

12,000–12,999

8.1

0.2

14.8

9.1

7.9

6.9

13,000–13,999

11.6

0

18.7

11.7

15.5

10.2

14,000–14,999

7.2

0

8.6

7.7

10.4

8.6

15,000–19,999

18.0

0

1.0

35.8

24.7

30.4

20,000–24,999

3.9

0.2

0

1.6

7.6

11.0

25,000 or more

1.6

0

0

0

2.0

6.7

Median family Social Security benefits (dollars)

12,000

7,542

11,862

13,254

13,254

14,500

Number (thousands)

10,735

2,013

2,427

2,202

2,161

1,932

Persons in 2-person beneficiary families

Total percent

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

1–499

0

0

0

0

0

0

500–999

0.1

0.3

0

0.1

0

0.1

1,000–1,499

0.2

0.3

0

0.1

0

0.4

1,500–1,999

0.2

0.4

0.1

0.4

0.1

0.2

2,000–2,499

0.4

0.7

0.3

0.1

0.2

0.7

2,500–2,999

0.2

0.5

0.1

0.2

0.2

0.4

3,000–3,499

0.3

0.7

0.2

0.3

0.2

0.1

3,500–3,999

0.2

0.5

0

0.2

0.1

0.1

4,000–4,499

0.3

0.3

0.1

0.6

0.2

0.4

4,500–4,999

0.5

1.3

0.6

0.4

0.3

0.2

5,000–5,999

1.3

3.2

0.7

0.8

1.3

1.2

6,000–6,999

1.5

3.8

0.8

0.9

1.3

1.2

7,000–7,999

2.2

5.6

2.0

0.9

1.7

1.6

8,000–8,999

2.0

4.2

1.6

1.4

1.9

1.5

9,000–9,999

2.0

4.3

1.4

1.3

1.5

2.0

10,000–10,999

2.5

4.7

1.9

2.1

2.2

1.9

11,000–11,999

2.6

4.9

2.0

2.1

2.6

2.2

12,000–12,999

2.7

4.9

2.3

1.9

2.4

2.5

13,000–13,999

3.8

6.3

2.0

3.9

4.0

3.1

14,000–14,999

4.2

9.6

2.5

2.9

2.8

4.1

15,000–19,999

23.2

38.5

23.9

21.2

16.3

19.2

20,000–24,999

27.8

4.9

43.9

33.0

32.6

20.4

25,000 or more

21.8

0

13.6

25.3

28.0

36.6

Median family Social Security benefits (dollars)

19,902

14,184

20,760

21,132

21,420

21,600

Number (thousands)

17,431

2,849

3,559

3,768

3,518

3,737

Persons in families of 3 or more

Total percent

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

1–499

0

0

0

0

0.2

0

500–999

0

0

0.2

0

0

0

1,000–1,499

0.5

0.7

0.9

0

0.3

0.3

1,500–1,999

0.4

0.4

0

0.4

0.3

0.7

2,000–2,499

0.4

0

0.4

0.2

1.2

0.1

2,500–2,999

0.5

1.2

0

0.4

0.2

0.4

3,000–3,499

0.3

0.3

0.2

0.9

0.2

0.2

3,500–3,999

0.3

0.3

0

1.0

0

0.3

4,000–4,499

0.7

1.2

1.2

0.3

0.5

0.2

4,500–4,999

1.0

1.6

0.7

0.5

0.6

1.9

5,000–5,999

2.2

4.4

2.6

0.4

1.8

1.5

6,000–6,999

2.8

4.5

2.5

2.1

3.0

1.7

7,000–7,999

4.0

7.0

4.2

3.6

2.3

2.5

8,000–8,999

4.8

8.0

6.2

2.3

3.3

3.9

9,000–9,999

3.9

6.8

2.8

4.5

2.6

2.0

10,000–10,999

5.0

7.1

3.9

5.5

3.8

4.0

11,000–11,999

4.8

4.7

6.0

4.8

5.2

3.0

12,000–12,999

3.1

4.0

3.0

3.0

2.7

2.3

13,000–13,999

4.5

2.6

4.8

4.5

4.9

6.1

14,000–14,999

4.2

3.3

4.1

4.2

5.3

4.0

15,000–19,999

19.2

23.2

15.1

17.0

21.2

18.7

20,000–24,999

17.1

12.8

21.0

19.2

15.2

18.6

25,000 or more

20.2

5.9

20.2

25.2

25.2

27.5

Median family Social Security benefits (dollars)

16,638

12,312

16,839

18,318

17,862

18,838

Number (thousands)

4,233

958

820

853

934

668

NOTE: Per-capita family total money income quintile limits are $10,466, $15,183, $21,411, and $34,193.

Family Social Security Income of Persons 65 or OlderTable 5.B7 Percentage distribution of persons in Social Security beneficiary families, by proportion of family income from Social Security and sex, 2006

Family Social Security benefits (dollars)

Proportion of family income from Social Security

Less than 50 percent

50–89 percent

90–99 percent

100 percent

All persons

Men

Women

All persons

Men

Women

All persons

Men

Women

All persons

Men

Women

Total percent

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

1–499

0

0

0

0

0

0.1

0

0

0

0.1

0

0.2

500–999

0.1

0.2

0.1

0

0

0

0.2

0

0.3

0.2

0.2

0.2

1,000–1,499

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.1

0.1

0

0.2

0.3

0.2

0.7

0.4

0.8

1,500–1,999

0.5

0.3

0.7

0

0

0

0

0

0

0.2

0.3

0.1

2,000–2,499

0.8

0.8

0.9

0

0

0.1

0.5

0.3

0.7

0.3

0

0.4

2,500–2,999

0.7

0.7

0.8

0.1

0

0.1

0

0

0

0.5

0.6

0.5

3,000–3,499

0.8

0.6

1.0

0.2

0

0.3

0.1

0.1

0

0.3

0.1

0.4

3,500–3,999

0.7

0.5

0.9

0.1

0.2

0.1

0.1

0

0.2

0.5

0.6

0.5

4,000–4,499

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.2

0.2

0.3

0

0

0

0.3

0

0.4

4,500–4,999

1.2

0.8

1.6

0.5

0.2

0.7

0.3

0.1

0.3

1.3

1.9

1.0

5,000–5,999

2.6

2.2

2.9

1.1

0.5

1.5

1.2

0.8

1.4

2.8

2.2

3.1

6,000–6,999

2.9

2.1

3.6

1.8

1.1

2.2

1.4

1.2

1.6

2.7

2.0

3.1

7,000–7,999

4.2

2.6

5.5

2.4

0.9

3.4

3.3

1.7

4.2

5.3

4.2

5.9

8,000–8,999

4.2

2.8

5.3

2.8

1.7

3.7

4.0

3.4

4.4

6.2

2.4

8.2

9,000–9,999

4.0

3.2

4.7

2.6

1.5

3.3

3.7

2.3

4.6

5.6

4.4

6.2

10,000–10,999

4.4

3.8

4.9

3.3

2.4

4.0

4.8

2.6

6.0

7.3

6.3

7.8

11,000–11,999

4.9

4.1

5.7

4.2

2.9

5.2

5.3

2.4

7.0

7.1

5.4

8.0

12,000–12,999

4.4

3.8

5.0

4.2

2.7

5.3

5.4

3.5

6.5

4.8

4.3

5.1

13,000–13,999

6.3

6.2

6.5

5.8

4.9

6.4

6.1

3.4

7.7

8.4

8.5

8.3

14,000–14,999

5.2

6.2

4.4

4.9

4.0

5.5

4.4

3.9

4.7

6.1

4.7

6.8

15,000–19,999

19.8

23.1

16.8

22.7

24.8

21.1

23.8

26.7

22.2

19.4

24.9

16.4

20,000–24,999

16.6

19.1

14.5

24.0

29.4

20.2

19.1

25.5

15.5

12.3

16.5

10.1

25,000 or more

14.2

15.8

12.9

19.0

22.5

16.5

15.9

21.6

12.7

7.7

10.1

6.4

Median family Social Security benefits (dollars)

15,213

16,524

13,542

18,570

20,262

16,662

16,470

19,200

15,030

13,200

15,324

12,636

Number (thousands)

14,772

6,848

7,924

9,821

4,084

5,737

3,031

1,106

1,924

4,691

1,655

3,037

NOTE: Persons in families with zero total income or with negative total income, earnings, or income from assets are excluded.